Electrical conductors angularly joined with sheet metal connector having struck out tabs



INVENTOR,

Jan. 10, 1967 I. E. STIER ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS ANGULARLY JOINED WITH SHEET METAL CONNECTOR HAVING STRUCK OUT TABS Filed Dec. 3, 1964 FIG. 4

3 H U I:

FIG.

ATTORNEY)v United States Patent 3,297,817 ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS ANGULARLY JOINED WITH SHEET METAL CONNEC- TOR HAVING STRUCK OUT TABS Irvin E. Stier, Neptune City, N.J., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Filed Dec. 3, 1964, Ser. No. 415,839 3 Claims. (Cl. 17487) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalty thereon.

The present invention relates to connectors and more particularly to a connector for joining a pair of electrical conductors in spaced, angular relation.

Those concerned with the development of electrical connectors have lOng recognized the need for a sturdy, simple, inexpensive, and reliable means for joining both mechanically and electrically a pair of electric cables at a spaced, angular relation. Such connectors would find use in the antenna field, for example, where the spaced relationships of a pair of conductors is important. The present invention fulfills this need by providing a simple, one piece connector which may be formed from sheet metal in a simple stamping operation. The connector includes a plurality of arms extending from a central portion, each said arm includes a first portion tightly embracing one of the cables to provide a rigid, mechanical connection and a second portion lanced out of said first portion and tightly embracing the conductor of said cable to provide a good electrical connection. The second portion may also be cemented to the conductor by soldering or other means when a reliable permanent connection is desired. The connector may also be covered with insulation by any of the standard procedures.

The exact nature of this invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will be readily apparent from consideration of the following specification relating to the annexed drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 2 is a perspective view, with parts broken away, of the device of FIG. 1 as applied to a pair of cables, and

FIGS. 3 and 4 are plan views of a strip and a sheet of metal respectively with the device of FIGS. 1 and 2 outlined thereon.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown in FIGS, 1 and 2 a connector 11 made of electrically conductive sheet metal having a triangular shaped body portion 12 and a pair of arms 13 and 14 extending therefrom for supporting a pair of cables 17 and 18. A pair of tabs 15 and 16 are lanced out of and depend from arms 13 and 14 respectively. Arms 13 and 14 are curled on opposite sides of the plane which includes the body portion 12. Tabs 15 and 16 are also curled, but to a greater degree, in the same directions as the arms 13 and 14 are curled respectively.

Cables 17 and 18 each include an electrical conductor 19 covered by a jacket of insulation 20. When making the connection from cable 17 to cable 18, a portion of the insulation 20 is removed from each of the cables 17 and 18 to expose a portion of the conductor 19. The

3,297,817 Patented Jan. 10, 1967 ice width of the exposed portion should be slightly more than the width of tabs 15 and 16. The cables 17 and 18 are then placed in the channels formed by curled arms 13 and 14 and then with a pair of pliers or other appropriate tool the arms 13 and 14 are squeezed tightly around cables 17 and 18 respectively. While arms 13 and 14 are being squeezed tabs 15 and 16 will also move into contact with the conductors 19. However, if the pressure contact between tabs 15 and 16 and the conductors 19 is still not sufficient, the tabs 15 and 16 may then be squeezed further with a needle nose plier or other appropriate tool. If a permanent connection is desired, an electrical glue may be applied to the conductors 19 and tabs 15 and 16 just before applying the connector or, a bead of solder may be applied to the tabs 15 and 16 and conductors 19 after the connector 11 is applied.

The connector 11 may be easily formed from sheet metal by punching. If the arms 13 and 14 are squareshaped before being curled, the connectors 11 may be efiiciently punched from a strip of sheet metal as shown in FIG. 3. The only waste involved would be the triangular-shaped piece 21. There would be substantially no waste at all, if the connector 11 were punched from a large sheet of sheet metal in the manner shown in FIG. 4.

Of course, many modifications and variations of the present invention are obvious in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood, that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical connector in combination with a pair of electrical cables comprising first and second cables, each said cable comprising an electrical conductor surrounded by two outer covers of insulation spaced from each other to provide a short exposed portion of said conductor, and a sheet metal electrical connector comprising a flat body portion with a pair of curled arms extending from adjacent edges thereof, a tab portion struck out of the interior portion of each said arm and depending therefrom, said cables being mounted perpendicular to each other and spaced on opposite sides of the plane including said body portion with a different one of said arms curled around and tightly embracing said insulation on opposed sides of said exposed portion and with said tab portions extending into said exposed portion and into electrical contact with said conductors.

2. The electrical connector and cable combination of claim 1 wherein said' body portion is right triangular in shape and said arms extend from the legs thereof.

3. The electrical connector and cable combination of claim 2 wherein said arms when flat are square-shaped and equal in size to each other.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,070,948 8/1913 Dodd 17471 X 3,051,773 8/ 1962 Batcheller 17494 FOREIGN PATENTS 508,002 6/ 1939 Great Britain. 486,900 11/1953 Italy.

LARAMIE E. ASKIN Primary Examiner.

J. F. RUGGIERO, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR IN COMBINATION WITH A PAIR OF ELECTRICAL CABLES COMPRISING FIRST AND SECOND CABLES, EACH SAID CABLE COMPRISING AN ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR SURROUNDED BY TWO OUTER COVERS OF INSULATION SPACED FROM EACH OTHER TO PROVIDE A SHORT EXPOSED PORTION OF SAID CONDUCTOR, AND A SHEET METAL ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR COMPRISING A FLAT BODY PORTION WITH A PAIR OF CURLED ARMS EXTENDING FROM ADJACENT EDGES THEREOF, A TAB PORTION STRUCK OUT OF THE INTERIOR PORTION OF EACH SAID ARM AND DEPENDING THEREFROM, SAID CABLES BEING MOUNTED PERPENDICULAR TO EACH OTHER AND SPACED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE PLANE INCLUDING SAID BODY PORTION WITH A DIFFERENT ONE OF SAID ARMS CURLED AROUND AND TIGHTLY EMBRACING SAID INSULATION ON OPPOSED SIDES OF SAID EXPOSED PORTION AND WITH SAID TAB PORTIONS EXTENDING INTO SAID EXPOSED PORTION AND INTO ELECTRICAL CONTACT WITH SAID CONDUCTORS. 